• 1
• 2
• 3

Pair a Swiss province with an Italian one, add mountains and rural restaurants, castles and alpine lakes, farmland and charcuterie and you've got a gourmet vacation for families who like la dolce vita.

At a recent luncheon (a delicious one I might add) in New York for Switzerland Tourism, a gathering of journalists had a rare opportunity to sample the gourmet fare of Ticino.  In terms of the culinary arts, Ticino is well known as “the land of great chefs. " From the 15^th century, when local Maestro Martino went to cook for the Sforza dynasty that ruled Milan, to more recent cooks whose restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars, this canton (or province) bordering Italy has produced many notables.

Ticino is in south central Switzerland approximately 120kms south of Zurich. Its most easily recognized landmarks are Locarno and Ascona on the Lago Maggiore, and Lugano on the lake of the same name, just 70kms from Milan. But it is in the lesser known villages and valleys along the E35 motorway that the tradition of the grottos, osterie and canvetti (simple rural taverns) has prevailed.

These country restaurants are best enjoyed as the goal of a full day’s outing dedicated to feasting. It’s not an experience related to the punctuality of Swiss time; even children understand how many hours can be devoted to the fine Italian art of dining. Located typically in small houses of Ticinese architecture, the grottos leave the interior to the needs of the kitchen and seat guests outdoors, usually in large shaded gardens around family-style granite tables.

Making Stomachs Happy

Ever-changing menus make use of fresh, locally grown products to produce the daily fare. Specialties influenced by the northern Italian cuisine of Lombardy and Piedmont tend to be versions of a favorite soup such as minestrone; a rich flavored rice dish like risotto; or a typical preparation of finely ground corn meal into cakes or polenta.

Entrees might include a veal dish prepared similarly to the Italian vitello tonnato; sausages; bresaola, an air-dried beef served salted, sliced very thin, with lemon and parmesan; chicken liver pâté; roast beef and rabbit stews; or various marinated fish from the local lakes. This area is also known for its buckwheat, used for making gnocchi puffs or pizzocheri, a hearty dish of broad buckwheat noodles blanketed in melted cheese and cooked greens.

Entrees are followed by local cheeses, marinated peaches and bread cake; the amaretti (amaretto flavored, twice-baked biscuits) are special treats usually brought back as gifts to those less fortunate who couldn’t be there in person.

For wine, many prefer the Ticino Merlot, cultivated since the turn of the century from the vines in France’s Bordeaux region (currently 83% of the region’s output). The Nostrano or Barbera are popular too, especially when mixed with gazzosa (a local lemon soda) and served in a boccalino wine jug. Some recommended grottos include the Grotto della Polenta, Grotto Conza in Rovio, the hilltop Eremo San Nicolao in Somazzo, the Grotto Scarpape in Giubiasco and the Osteria Calprino in Paradiso. Several guidebooks, among them Slow Food’s “Osterie d’Italia” review these places in depth.